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Monday, December 24, 2007

Artist's No-BS Market Report

Hey artists, let's do an unscientific no-bullshit survey on the artfair market. Just be anonymous, NO NEED to be strategic or to protect/promote a position.

Tell us how many pieces you had in Miami this year, and how many (if any) sold. Please try to be relatively specific, while retaining your anonymity. For example, "I had X number of pieces, at X number of galleries, at X number of fairs - X number of pieces sold", plus any other relevant information you feel comfortable sharing.

19 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Martin thank you for attempting to discover the truth. I highly doubt you will have any takers. I don't want to offend fellow artists during such joyous times so I won't bother to explain myself. Have a wonderful end of 2007. I look forward to reading and looking at your blog in 2008.

Martin, wasn't sure where to put this, but Merry Christmas to you too. I've really enjoyed your blog since discovering it a year (?) or so ago. You are breath of fresh air -- no bored elitism, cynical nothing-means-anything pronouncements, or insider name-dropping. You are generous (even when you don't like something) and passionate. Plus, you're pretty funny. And, oh yeah, I love your work.

Two 12x12 paintings at one gallery/fair: 0 soldOne 24x24 and four 12x12 paintings at another gallery/fair. The 24x24 painting sold.

My experience has been that my small work usually sells better than larger, and typically in mupltiples of three or four, but this time the opposite was true.

While sales are great, there's also a cumulative effect of having your work seen at the fairs: the Armory of satellite fairs in NY, the LA Art Fair, Chicago, the Miami fairs. Better for you if the work is seen in more than one venue. Collectors, curators, dealers, other artists make the rounds, and when they see the work of an artist repeatedly over time, there's an imprint. You introduce yourself and they say, "Oh, I know your work." It makes your work--the part that has you promoting yourself and getting your art out into the world--that much easier.

hi there, i had two pieces in one gallery...lots of positive response but no sales. i had three pieces in another gallery but no sales and i had another three pieces in a third gallery...LOTS of positive response but just one sale. overall...8 pieces, 3 galleries, 1 sale. i've been in the Miami Basel fair for several years...each year one sale. except for last year...2 sales, 2 galleries, 5 pieces or so. i'm always amazed any art sells at all. i mean how many people are there who seriously collect it? most people just want a new car. maybe that's a limited way to think. probably.

just discovered your website. very enjoyable. thank you. from fellow artist. and to those who aren't even in the fairs.....don't give up. it's about making art more than selling it even when you are selling it.

oh, and galleries from the red dot fair were disappointed i heard. gallery in Miami Basel said they had less sales the first night than last year....other gallery in hipster fair said they did okay..they are the one that sold piece of mine. i think there's a gallery-glut problem.